Old Dominion fans don't sweat the weather at Sunday show during 2-night stop in Gilford

GILFORD — Hot weather did nothing to deter fans of Old Dominion from turning out in full force for the band’s second night in a row at BankNH Pavilion at Meadowbrook on Sunday during the How Good Is That world tour.

The tour introduces fans to some tracks from Old Dominion’s forthcoming album “Barbara” — their sixth studio release — which will drop Friday, Aug. 22.

Temperatures were holding steady at 82 degrees Fahrenheit during Redferrin’s opening set at 7 p.m., played to a crowd scattered across the 9,000-seat amphitheater.

Wearing a Boston Red Sox jersey, Blake Redferrin, who goes professionally by only his last name, played selections from his 2024 album “Old No. 7,” including “Jack and Diet Coke” — released as a single in 2023 — and “Just Like Johnny.” Originally a songwriter, Redferrin’s album name is a reference to Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, from his home state.

Rows and rows of seats from the bandshell’s first section had been cleared out to make room for a T-shaped extended stage, sloping down like a ramp from the main stage. A standing-room-only pit area provided a space for eager country music fans to get as close as possible to all the action.

Most of the members of Old Dominion have been playing together since 2007, when they formed in Nashville. The band is made up of lead singer Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen on guitar and keyboard, drummer Whit Sellers, Geoff Sprung on bass and guitarist Brad Tursi.

The lawn at the back of the amphitheater was packed by 7:30 p.m., by concertgoers with picnic blankets, rented lawn chairs and positive attitudes, waiting for the show to start.

Despite a few drops from threatening dark clouds, rain held off for the evening, and ERNEST took the stage around 7:45 p.m.

Ernest Keith Smith, touring under just his first name, also hails from the Volunteer State, and got his start writing for other country acts, including “I Had Some Help,” which he played during his set, originally penned for Post Malone and Morgan Wallen.

ERNEST’s set paid tribute to Toby Keith and Independence Day, featuring “Who’s Your Daddy” and “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” from Keith’s 2002 album “Unleashed.” Keith died in February 2024 of complications from stomach cancer at age 62.

Other selections from ERNEST’s set were a cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s “Family Tradition,” and “Flower Shops,” from ERNEST’s album of the same name, released in 2022.

Following a brief break to reset the stage, all the lights turned off at 9:02 p.m. to prepare the crowd for the main event. An animated video of a Volkswagen bus alerted the audience to the start of Old Dominion’s set, which had the whole venue on their feet for the opening notes of “Coming Home,” released as a single in 2024.

Ramsey led the band’s first songs with high energy, clad in a 2025 Laconia Motorcycle Week sleeveless tee and white pants, alternating between playing his guitar and a harmonica.

Ramsey traded his guitar and harmonica for a xylophone during “No Hard Feelings.” During “Break Up With Him,” the stage’s jumbo screen displayed an anti-kiss cam with an image of a broken heart superimposed over couples throughout the crowd, much to their amusement.

A few songs later, Ramsey paused to poll the crowd, asking how many fans were attending both nights of shows. He said many of their songs are intended to be sung with the audience instead of for them, and thanked their supporters. “We have been around the world at this point, thanks to people like you.” Black glittering guitar around his neck, Ramsey then launched into “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart” from the 2017 album “Happy Endings.”

After more hits, old and new, Ramsey opened it up to audience requests. “Paint the Grass Green,” written on a big yellow poster, elicited a “this song terrifies me” from Ramsey. After ripping up the poster as a sign of checking it off the fans’ list, he donned an electric green guitar to play the 2019 tune.

Ramsey thanked the band’s road crew for having everything prepared for any song request from the audience, before choosing “Wrong Turns” as the next selection. The song is from the band’s studio debut “Meat and Candy” (2015).

By 10 p.m., temperatures had dropped to a seasonable 76 degrees, giving the crowd a bit of a break from the day’s humidity. But onstage, things were just heating up.

The band’s next selection was “Written in the Sand” from “Happy Endings,” before playing 2015’s “Snapback,” the song which arguably put them on the map as a contemporary country band, earning its share of radio play after its release.

2016’s “Song for Another Time” closed the set, with everyone cheering and singing along. Arms waved in the air to the beat as the band, save Sellers at the drumset, came down to the end of the extended stage.

Minutes later, Old Dominion was back for an encore.

“We came back. Surprise,” Ramsey quipped. “We’re having so much fun we don’t want to stop.”

“Man or the Song,” a pre-lease from “Barbara” just the preceding Friday, led the encore, which Ramsey said was one of the requests. “Hawaii” followed, another on the list of fan requests, which saw Ramsey don a light-up lei. “I Was on a Boat That Day” (2021) wrapped the night, remixed with a sample from Gary Glitter’s Rock 'n' Roll (Part 2).

Ramsey described being in the band as the “best job in the world,” and that his group “happen to be doing it in the best venue in the world,” echoing the praise of almost every artist and band to play at the pavilion. “We will damn sure be back.”

Old Dominion’s How Good Is That tour continues through November.